Prof. Patricia Smith,  PhD (Chicago) ; BDS. LDS (U. London) Professor, Wilbush Chair in Medical Anthropology Email pat@cc.huji.ac.il   Voice mail 972-2-6758577, 6757608

Main Research interests
a. Human origin
b. Past populations in the Southern Levant:
c. Dental evolution
d. Dental ontogeny, development and function
e. The origin and spread of genetic and infectious diseases in the past
 

Dr. Marina Faerman, Ph.D.; Kamea Fellow

Born 1953. Moscow, Russia; Ph. D. 1986, Moscow State Univ.; Lect. 1994; Sen. Lect. 1998, Laboratory of Biological Anthropology and Ancient DNA.

Email: marinaf@pob.huji.ac.il
 

Tel: 972-2-6757608; Fax: 972-2-6757451

Research Interests
Paleopathology; ancient DNA; population genetics

Research Projects
Evolution of ancient pathogens & prevalence of infectious diseases in ancient populations of the Near East & Europe;
Origin and spread of genetic disorders in past populations of the Mediterranean Basin;
Genetics of past present populations in Israel and the Middle East;
Forensic and archaeological applications.

Abstract of current research
Bioanthropology of past and present populations of Israel, Middle East and Europe with the main emphasis on population origins, disease patterns and host-pathogen relationships.

Keywords: Mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA variation; sex identification and burial customs; porotic hyperostosis and hemoglobinopathies; tuberculosis.

Click here to go to Dr. Faerman's page at bioanthropology.huji.ac.il

Dr. U. Zilberman, Ph.D., D.M.D. – Research Associate

Associate researcher & Head of Department of Pedodontics - Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon.
Inventor and CSO of "Uri-dent ltd"- a start-up company developing esthetic crowns for primary dentition.


Research interests
Developmental mechanism of tooth development and the influence of hereditary syndromes on tooth development.
Tooth components: development of enamel and dentin in children with growth disorders.
Development of new dental restorations for pediatric dentistry- the first product: esthetic crowns for primary molars to replace the widely used stainless-steel crowns.
 

Netta Lev-Tov Chattah, MA Tel-Aviv, 2001

Ph.D Student
 

Email: netalev@md.huji.ac.il

Research Interests:
Dental anthropology: pathology, development, function, odontometry and trait analysis. Information gathered from dental remains of protohistoric populations is being used to reconstruct dietary habits, food processing methods, general health and biological affiliations of these populations.

Current Research Projects
Ph.D Dissertation: The Impact of Socio-Economic and Political Factors on Health Patterns and Dental Disease during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age I in Israel.
Changes that occurred in Israel towards the end of the first part of the Early Bronze Age represent in many ways the intensification of processes that had begun in the previous Chalcolithic period, notably surplus production and trade, possibly associated with colonialism by Egypt.
By comparing dental morphometry, pathology, development, and function between populations dated to both periods, the study aims to answer the following questions: Did population movements into Israel occur during the EBA I? In what way did the rise in population, intensification of trade and market level production, settlement in large proto-urban sites and greater socio-political complexity affect the EBA I population in terms of health.
The study gives researchers an insight into the long and short term effects of changes in on health, and may also provide some insight into the long standing debates regarding the rise of urbanism in Israel.

Regional Variation in Dental Attrition Rates of Chalcolithic Populations in Israel.
Analysis of dental findings from Shiqmim Village.
Analysis of skeletal findings from Hazerim.
 

Gal Avishai, DMD, MSc, Hebrew University 2004
PhD student
 

Email: gavishai@md.huji.ac.il

Research Interests
Focus on the use of teeth to study development and evolution using imaging techniques to quantify enamel and dentin.
Development: Pre-natal and post-natal dental development, models for tracing development using the morphology of completed teeth and tooth germs of normal and developmentally impaired individuals.
Evolution: The link between development and evolution shown by variation in morphogenesis
Forensic Archeology: Use of dental remains to assess age at death in past populations.
Imaging: Application of High resolution computerized tomography
 

David Keinan, DMD, MSc
 

Yael Givol, BA
 

Yossi Natan, DMD